Interesting Facts

• Arkee is listed as one of the sons of Canaan in Jasher.
• The Arkite is mentioned as one of the families descending from Canaan in Genesis.
• The children of Canaan, including presumably the descendants of Arkee/the Arkites, built cities and named them after themselves.
• The land inhabited by the Canaanites, the broader group to which Arkee/the Arkites belong, extended from Sidon towards Gerar and Gaza, and towards Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, up to Lasha.

Genealogy

• Arkee is a son of Canaan.
• Canaan is a son of Ham, who is one of the three sons of Noah.
• The Arkites are among the families that descended from Canaan.
• They are therefore descendants of Ham and ultimately of Noah.

Historical Context

The narrative of Arkee and the Arkites unfolds in the period following the great flood, as the descendants of Noah began to populate and divide the earth. This era was marked by significant events such as the planting of the first vineyard by Noah, his subsequent drunkenness and the disrespectful actions of his son Ham, which led to a curse upon Canaan. Following the dispersal after the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel, the families of Noah’s sons, including the descendants of Ham and his son Canaan, migrated and built their own cities, naming them after their progenitors. This was a time of establishing new territories and societal structures, as evidenced by the divisions of land among Noah’s sons and their subsequent partitioning among their own offspring. The construction of the Tower of Babel represents a period of unified language and a desire for collective power, which was ultimately thwarted by divine intervention, leading to the dispersion of peoples and the diversification of languages.

Narrative

The personal story of Arkee, as an individual, is not explicitly detailed in the provided texts. However, as a son of Canaan, his narrative is intertwined with the broader story of the Canaanites. Following the curse upon Canaan for Ham’s transgression against Noah, the descendants of Canaan, including the Arkites, were destined to be servants to their brethren, Shem and Japheth. After the confusion of tongues and the scattering of humanity from Babel, the children of Canaan, as part of the Hamitic lineage, established their territories. They are noted for building cities in the land of Canaan, naming these settlements after themselves. Despite a designated portion of land to the west, Canaan chose to settle in the land of Lebanon, extending towards Egypt, a decision that drew the disapproval of his father Ham and his brothers, who reminded him of the allotted divisions and the oath taken against encroaching on others’ territories. This narrative thread highlights the early migrations, territorial claims, and the consequences of disobedience within the post-flood world, positioning the Arkites as part of a lineage that faced a specific divine pronouncement and made choices regarding their settlement in the ancient Near East.